Microtome knife



G. W. JAcoBY, JR

MICROTOME KNIFE Filed Aug. 1'7, 1950 www Qimf

ZNVENTOR. GEORG E W., MCO BY, JQ.. BY

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sidered inconnectionwith Vthe g @drawingasets forth the -preferredembodiment Patented Dec. 15, Y1953 NaI TED S TATES PATENT -Fl 24,662,445 MICROTOME -KNIFE .George W. Jacoby, Jr., Wooster, Ohio 1950, Serial N o. 180,067 (Cl. 88-40) Application August 17,

6. Claims.

iThis v"invention :relates .broad-1y `to microtomes .andrmore `sp.ef ica1ly to AiinprovementsY,in lmives and knifeholderstherefor.

@neef-the objectssof this invention is to. provides. i'knifeiholderifforaimicrotome capable of o which-re1easablyaiixatheknifein its .operating 1,5

position.

. Afurther; objeotyoisthisrinvention lis to provide :a y.-rnicrotome [blade ,support yvvhichris yrigid and :stable'during,operation and which may bereadily positioned for trimming and nishing While rey `taining.cvatting-adjustments.

-Further;,obiects ofithis;.-inventionreside in the pfpperation, andanassembly whichis susceptiv y .ble of use. on existing. .machines Without modification thereof.

`Otherobjects -and advantages,r more or less Aancillary-tothe foregoing,and the manner in which all; ltheyarious. objectsare realized `will ,30

lappear. in r.the following description, which, conaccompanying of the'invention.

Referring to the drawings: 5

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a microtome cmbodying-thefinvention;

Fig. 2 isa Avievv in perspective of the improved knife and holder therefor;

Fig.3 is a view in perspective of the cutting nmounted. on: the .holding plate, portions loeing.` cut: away to show detai1sof construction;

LEig. 4:is a..crosssectionalxview of-thei knife .lrolder'and is taken. onlline 4-;4.of Fig. 2; and

Fig. a, .fragmentary -crossz sectional. View similar to Fig. 4 and showing the knife in operation.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the microtome which is chosen herein as illustrative of one of the forms of machine upon which the improved knife and holder may be used, includes a housing I0 having the customary gearing (not shown) for moving the specimen holder Il in a vertical reciprocatory path and at the same time feeding the specimen holder II outwardly toward a stationary knife l2.

ure Without reliancelonzmassiveness.

As illustrated in-Figs. 2-and.3,theknife holder l 3 comprises an elongatedpla-tetlfhavingalineal rib 2@ protruding from its forward face adjacent the-med1a1-axes thereof. Y#

vA thumb nut 21is threadedmponthe .shank :25

rof the lockingrmember, .the forwardlendfthereof kbeing disposed'in: abutting Irelation with Athe boss 22. The opening-ferithe locking memberisiinclined downwardlyfto bias :the-hook .-26.into .interlocked engagements-.with the fledgeon r:theknife The cutting blade 29 associated with holder I3 is formed with a hollow ground edge 30 disposed in overlying relationship with the upper curved surface of the boss 22. The portion of the blade below the ground surface is milled with a dovetail mortice dening a ledge 3| extending downwardly and outwardly for the reception of the upper surface of the rib 20. By lodging the ledge 3| on rib 20, positive alignment may be obtained without further adjustment. The lower ledge 33 receives the hook 26 of the locking member 23.

In operation, the knife holder is adjusted to support the knife forwardly of the specimen and in spaced relation thereto. The cradle is next adjusted to provide the requiste clearance angle for the knife, and the slicing operation may then be performed. Assembly of the knife 29 and knife holder` I3 is accomplished by loosening thumb nut 21 and moving the locking member 23 forward in boss 22. The knife 29 can then be lodged in engagement with rib and hook 26 brought into locking relation with the ledge 33 on blade 29. Further adjustment of nut 21 will draw blade 29 into rigid, supported relation with the blade holder I3. When any particular portion of the cuttingr edge 30 becomes dull, release of the tension on the locking member 23 will facilitate lateral movement of blade 29 so that a sharp section of the cutting edge 30 may be brought into alignment with the specimen. The blade 29 can then be locked in the new position and further adjustment thereof will be unnecessary.

Although lthe foregoing description is necessarily detailed for completely setting forth the invention, it is to be understood that such specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that such modifications are included that may fairly come within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a microtome, an elongated plate having a front face and a longitudinal rib on said face, an elongated cutting blade having a pair of continuous longitudinal spaced apart ledges parallel to the cutting edge, one of said ledges being in complementary engagement with said rib, an arcuate upper face on said plate extending downwardly and away from said front face, an arcuate wall on said blade in register with said arcuate face on the plate and extending to said cutting edge, and clamping means operably carried by said plate engaging the face of the other ledge whereby the blade is releasably held against .movement relative to the plate and positionable therealong with the arcuate wall of the blade and the arcuate surface of the plate forming a smoothly contoured surface.

2. In a microtome, an elongated plate having a front face and a longitudinal rib on said face, an elongated cutting blade having a pair of continuous longitudinal spaced apart ledges parallel to the cutting edge, one of said ledges being in complementary engagement with said rib, a boss ,on the rear face of said plate, said boss having an yarcuate upper face extending downwardly and ,away from said front face, an arcuate wall on ,said blade in register with said arcuate face on lthe boss and extending to said cutting edge, and iclamping means operably carried by said plate and said boss engaging the face of the other ledge whereby the blade is releasably held against movement relative to the plate and positionable therealong with the arcuate wall of the blade and the arcuate surface of the boss forming a smoothly contoured surface.

8. In a microtome, an elongated plate having a front face and a laterally extending rib on said face, an elongated cutting blade having a pair of continuous longitudinal spaced apart laterally extending ledges parallel to the cutting edge, one of said ledges being in complementary engagement with said rib, and clamping means carried by the plate engaging the face of the second ledge along the length of the blade whereby the blade is releasably held against movement relative to the plate in any selected position.

4. In a microtorne, an elongated plate having a front face and a laterally extending rib on said face, an elongated cutting blade having a pair of continuous longitudinal spaced apart laterally extending ledges parallel to the cutting edge, one of said ledges being in complementary engagement with said rib, and a cam lock carried by the plate engaging the face of the second ledge along the length of the blade whereby the blade is releasably held against movement relative to the plate in any selected position.

5. In a microtome, an elongated plate having a front face and a laterally extending rib on said face, an elongated cutting blade having a pair of longitudinal spaced apart laterally extending ledges parallel to the cutting edge, one of said ledges being in complementary engagement with said rib, and a locking member shiftably mounted in said plate, and a hook on said member for engaging the second ledge along the length of the blade whereby the blade is releasably held against movement relative to the plate in any selected position.

6. In a microtorne, a plate having two extended end portions of rectangular cross section and adapted to be received in the blade holder of a microtome, a boss extending from said plate, said boss having an upper face and a front face, a blade, a ledge on said blade for engaging the upper face of said boss to constrain the vertical movement of said blade with respect to said boss, the upper face of said ledge forming a smooth extension of the upper face of said boss, and screw means extending through said boss for clamping said blade firmly to the front face of said boss while permitting lateral movement of the blade relative to the boss.

GEORGE W. JACOBY, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS "Number Name Date 515,045 Bultzingslowen Feb. 20, 1894 '784,069 Polkowski Mar. 7, 1905 1,004,613 Wing Oct. 3, 1911 1,955,588 Parker et al May 1, 1934 2,109,108 Fesler Feb. 22, 1938 

